Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — The students in Susan Kipfer's English Composition II class have something to write about. For two weeks, class discussion centered on the planning of tonight's spaghetti feed fundraiser for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

"I've never put together a fundraiser," said Colorado Mountain College business major Chris Jordan, 20.

The students were inspired to organize the event by their teacher.

"(She) came to class one day and said that everyone was talking about how horrible the hurricane was, but what were we doing about it?" said CMC art student Isabelle Lalive, 24. "So we started to brainstorm."

The 25 students threw around ideas such as piling into a bus and heading to New Orleans or putting on a dinner theater. Then someone suggested the spaghetti feed.

CMC donated the money for the food -- 10 pounds of spaghetti noodles, 30 jars of sauce and 40 loafs of garlic bread. Students will make salads and desserts. Along with the $5 a plate meal, attendees will be entertained by a first-time screening of a student's snowboard movie and an impromptu rock band put together by three other students.

"I have two kids in elementary school, and right after Hurricane Katrina hit, they were trying to throw fundraisers," Kipfer said. "Then I saw these neighborhood kids who set up a lemonade stand to raise money.

"I felt like everyone wanted to do something, but no one knows where to focus their energy."

Jordan said he was thankful for the invitation to get involved.

"Steamboat is our own little safe haven," he said. "It's easy to forget about the rest of the world. (Putting this together) feels really good. I've never done anything like this before."

All money raised tonight will be donated to the Red Cross' hurricane relief efforts.